


Paradise

by GoddessYami



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Mermaids, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-11-16
Packaged: 2018-07-26 18:37:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7585522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoddessYami/pseuds/GoddessYami
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabriel Agreste is left alone at his family's beach house for the summer. One night he comes across a teenage girl who washed up on the shore. Her name is Iris and she claims to be a shipwreck victim. Gabriel invites her stay with him for the summer until she gets her feet off the ground. Little he does know that Iris is a mermaid princess who ran away from home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Disbelief

_Gabriel_

The sun was shining down on Mediterranean Sea. It was a hot summer day in the city of Mer. Its citizens crowded the beach. Umbrellas covered the shore while people played in the water. Meanwhile, Gabriel Agreste was sitting on a rock sketching the sea. He had a perfect shot of the sea from where he was sitting. Gabriel spent all morning looking for this location. It took him far out enough so the people who were swimming in the sea wouldn't be in his shot.

_Splash_

Gabriel looked up from his sketch book. The rock he was sitting on was surrounded by water. He glanced around and saw nothing. Probably just a fish. Gabriel returned to his drawing.

_Splash_

There it was again. He ignored it.

_Splash_

Gabriel tightened his grip on his pencil. He looked up annoyed. Was someone messing with him? He placed his sketch beside him, crawled to edge of the rock, and looked down into the water. It was crystal clear and he could see tiny little fish swimming about. There was no way those fish could make such loud splashing noises. He frowned. How deep was this water? He was actually pretty far away from the shore.

_Splash_

He turned around. It came from behind. Gabriel crawled over to that side and again nothing. He went back to his sketch book. All focus was now lost. Gabriel let out a sigh. Someone had to be messing with him. He tapped his pencil on the piece of paper. Could it be her? No. There's no way she could hide herself under water for so long. Gabriel stared back at his sketch and started to shade in an area. Focus was slowly returning to him.

Then suddenly a pair of hands covered his eyes. "Guess who!!" a voice sung.

Gabriel let out a feint. "Hello, Charlotte." He knew her since childhood and always found her annoying since she had a thing for him. The only reason he put up with her was because their fathers were friends.

"Gabby!" she said angrily. "Call me Lotte!"

"Please stop calling me Gabby," he said and turned around to face her. Charlotte was tall and pale. She had long curly red hair and bright green eyes. She also had freckles across her cheeks and nose. Gabriel ignored her comment. He stared at her for a moment. She was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. She also wasn't wet. So he was right. She wasn't causing those splashing noises.

Charlotte sat down next to him and pouted. "But we need pet names!"

"No we don't. Now go away."

Charlotte frowned. "Must you be so cold?"

"Must you be so annoying?"

"Ouch!"

Splash

It returned! Gabriel crawled to the other side of the rock and looked around. Again nothing.

"What a lovely drawing!" said Charlotte, who was now holding his sketch book.

"Give me that," he said as he turned around and grabbed it back from her. "You know I don't like you touching my stuff. Now what do you want?"

Charlotte crossed her arms. "My parents would like you to come over for dinner since your parents are leaving for New York today."

"My parents? They're what?" Gabriel looked annoyed.

"They didn't tell you?" she started to laugh. "Oh, boy."

Gabriel just shook his head and got up. He then leaped across the rocks and headed back to his family's beach house. He could hear Charlotte calling out to him, but he ignored her. Gabriel quickly walked down the beach. He felt annoyed. They were going to New York? Why didn't they tell him? When he got to his family's beach house, he saw his mother heading toward the beach.

"Oh, Gabriel, wonderful, you’re home!" she said, walking over to him. She was carrying a shopping bag.

"Hello, mother," he said. "Charlotte told me you and father were leaving for New York today?"

"Oh, shoot! I wanted to be one the to tell you. Her mother called me earlier today and invited us over for dinner. I guess she told Charlotte that we were leaving."

"Why are you guys leaving?"

"Oh! Your father got a call from his clients this morning. They want him in New York ASAP." Gabriel's father was a famous Parisian fashion designer. "I'm tagging along with him. After he's done with work, we're going to Hawaii for our wedding anniversary!"

"Oh," Gabriel said emotionless.

"I know we promised you that we’d spend time together here this summer, but you know how your father can't tear himself from his work. Which is why he agreed to take me to Hawaii. "

 _'I would like to go to New York and Hawaii too,'_ he thought to himself.

"To make it up to you, your father and I agreed that you can stay here for the rest of the summer. We trust you. Oh!" she then handed him the shopping bag. "I also bought you art supplies!"

"Thanks, mother." Gabriel gave her a feint smile. He placed his sketch book into the bag.

"You're welcome! I'm glad you understand. Sorry that you heard about it from Charlotte. You were gone when he got the call. Now, I need to go finish packing." His mother then went into the house.

Gabriel just sighed. He went inside as well and went to his room. When he got inside his room, Gabriel closed the door behind him and put the shopping bag on the bed. He sat down next to it and pulled the art supplies out of it. She bought him a new sketch book, sketch pencils, erasers, and colored pencils. At least it was all high quality. But still… They always left him behind whenever they went on trips. Granted his father traveled mostly for work, but his mother always tagged along so she could sight see and shop. So it would have been nice if he got to tag along too.

He got up from his bed and grabbed his old sketch book out of the shopping bag. Gabriel left his room and headed back to the beach. He wasn't going to bother to stick around and say goodbye to his parents. There was no point. They would just say the same things they always said when they left him behind.

His family's beach house was right up on the beach. Gabriel walked through the backyard and walked up on a small hill. He was now on the beach. Before returning to drawing spot Gabriel headed into the town. It was lunch time so he bought a sandwich to go from a local cafe.

He returned to the beach and walked over to the rocks. Gabriel came to a complete stop and saw children playing around the rocks. He let out a frustrated sigh. Now he couldn't finish his drawing. Why must this day keep getting worse? So Gabriel walked down the shore until he found more rocks. He hated sitting on the beach. He did not like sand getting all over his clothes.

The rocks he found was apart of a small cove. He smiled at the sight of it. This would be fun to draw. Gabriel climbed up on some rocks and started to eat his sandwich. He loved coming to Mer. He always found new places to draw nature. Gabriel looked out at the sea and watched as seagulls flew around. When he was finished with his sandwich, Gabriel started his sketch of the cove.

A few hours passed and Gabriel was starting to feel hot. He looked up and saw the sun was beating down on him. Normally he didn't mind the heat, but this was too much for him. He placed his sketch book on the rock and stood up. He took off his flip flops and pulled off his t-shirt. Gabriel hopped off the rocks and walked into the water. He laid back in the water when it became deep of enough. He closed his eyes. He was so happy that he was all alone. No children, no parents, and no Charlotte.

When Gabriel opened his eyes, he saw a bright pair of green eyes staring down at him. Startled Gabriel thrashed about in the water and a small wave came by that was strong enough to knock him under. He felt his glasses float off his face and he quickly grabbed them. Gabriel came out of the water and quickly put his glasses back on. He can't see without them. He glanced around and saw no one. Was it the heat playing tricks on him? Gabriel could have sworn he saw a pair of eyes staring at him.

Gabriel went back over to the rocks and climbed up on them. Maybe he would see someone from a higher view. When he got up on the top of the rocks, Gabriel looked around. There was no sign of anyone. He frowned. How could that be? He would see someone running down the shore. There was no way a person could hide themselves in the water. He let out a sigh. Maybe it was the heat. Gabriel walked across the rocks and returned to his sketching area.

After hours of sketching, Gabriel finally returned home. When he came through the backdoor, he saw the lights were off. His parents were gone. Gabriel walked into the living room and turned on the lights. He threw his sketch book on the coffee table and sat down on the couch. He leaned back into the couch cushions and reached for the TV remote. He turned on the TV and sat there, watching the evening news.

As he watched the news he heard the phone ring. He sighed and got up from the couch. He entered the kitchen and walked over to the phone and read the caller I.D. It was Charlotte. He ignored it. She was probably trying to get him to come over for dinner. There was no way he was spending his evening with her. He walked away from the phone and went back to the living room.

"There was quite a sight today on the beach," said the newscaster. "Several eyes witnesses spotted a mermaid!"

Gabriel let out a slight laugh. He grabbed the remote and turned the TV off. A mermaid was spotted? Yeah right. If mermaids were real that meant magic was too. He left the room and went upstairs and into his bed room. He turned on the radio and sat down on his bed. He grabbed a different sketch book off a night stand. He opened it up to a sketch of a dress. Like his father he was into fashion as well. Gabriel was going to take over his father's business when he retired.

As he worked on the sketch, a thought crossed his mind. What if those eyes belonged to a mermaid? He shook his head for thinking such a thought. That was impossible. Mermaids were not real. They were myths that both sailors and fisherman made up.

He froze. Somehow he ended up drawing those eyes beside his sketch. Gabriel closed the sketch book and leaned back against the head board. He tapped his pencil on the sketch book. Those eyes were beautiful. He had never seen such beauty before. He wanted to see who they belonged too. Gabriel got up from the bed and went into the bathroom to take a shower. He needed to stop thinking about them.

When Gabriel returned after his shower, the phone was ringing again. He let out a sigh and had no choice to pick it up. Charlotte was good at getting under his skin. "Hello?"

"Hello, Gabriel," said the voice on the other end.

"Oh, hello Mrs. Roux," he replied. It was Charlotte's mother. Great..

"Would you still like to come over for dinner?" she asked him. "You never gave Charlotte an answer."

"Sure," he said, hiding his emotions. He did not want to come over for dinner. He was just going to make himself a sandwich and work on his fashion sketches. But he couldn't say no to Charlotte's mother. She would tell his mother and she would nag at him for not socializing much.

"Great! I'll see you in an hour."

"Alright. See you then." he just hung up the phone. Gabriel walked over to his closet and grabbed some clothes that were suitable for dinner.

Charlotte's beach house was a few doors down from his. He slowly walked down the sidewalk dreading dinner. He couldn't show his disdain for Charlotte around her parents. She knew this and would use it to her advantage. He arrived at their house and rang the doorbell. Unfortunately, Charlotte answered the door.

"Gabby!!" she shouted happily and pulled him into the house. "I'm so glad you came."

He just nodded his head and pulled her hand off his arm. "Is dinner ready?"

"Yes! My parents are in the dining room." she grabbed his arm again and pulled him into the dining room.

"Hello, Gabriel," said Charlotte's father.

"Hello, Mr. Roux," he said. He pulled Charlotte's hand off his arm again and took his seat. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well. You?"

"Same."

"Great to hear! Are you enjoying your summer vacation?"

"Yes." Gabriel tried not to fidget in his seat. He just wanted to go back home and eat by himself.

Dinner carried on with generic conversations. They talked about his parents, school, future goals, etc. When dinner was finished, Gabriel hope that meant he could go home, but no there was dessert afterward. They went outside on the back patio and ate dessert. Gabriel just stared at the piece of chocolate cake. He didn't really have a sweet tooth. He took a bite of it and tried not to make a face. He only ate it to be polite.

"I saw something incredible today!" Charlotte said.

The only good thing about Charlotte talking was that he wasn't the focus anymore. He just took another bite of the cake and thought about what he was going to do tomorrow.

"What was it?" her mother asked.

"I saw a mermaid!"

Gabriel tried not choke on cake. She saw one!?

"I was walking along the shore," Charlotte continued on. "And there it was! A fin of a mermaid! I saw it going under water!"

"Are you sure it wasn't a dolphin fin?" Gabriel asked. He had no idea way he was interested in this conversation.

"I'm positive!! Dolphins aren't green," she said looking at him.

"Green?" He wondered if its eyes were green..

Charlotte nodded her head.

"Maybe the heat was playing tricks on your eyes," Charlotte's father chuckled.

"It was not Papa!! Esme saw it too! She ended up on the news!" Charlotte did not sound happy about that. Esme was a girl from their class. They did not see eye to eye.

Gabriel looked down at his cake and tuned out the rest of the conversation. He was trying to convince himself that Charlotte did not see a mermaid, and he did not see a pair of green eyes. It was the heat. Just like her father said. This year, the heat had broken the record in Southern France.

"Where did you see the mermaid?" her mother asked amused.

"Right after Gabby left me earlier today," her daughter replied.

Gabriel looked toward the sea view. Could a mermaid have made those sounds of splashing? In stories, they had been known to mess with humans. He shook his head. Why was he still considering this? They were not real! End of story! Gabriel placed his cake down. He looked at the others. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to head home."

"Oh, is there something wrong, Gabriel?" Charlotte's mother asked.

"I have headache," he lied. "I was out in the sun all day."

"That's fine. Get some rest."

He nodded his head. "Thank you for having me over."

"You're always welcome here."

Gabriel got up from his chair and went back inside. He quickly walked over to the front door. Right when he placed his hand on the handle, he heard Charlotte calling after him. He turned the knob and went out the door at once. Gabriel had a feeling she wanted to walk him. He wasn't going to give her that opportunity. So when he got outside, he quickly went behind the neighbor's house and went onto the beach. He made sure Charlotte's parents couldn't spot him from the patio.

Instead of going home Gabriel just took a walk along the shore. There was no point in going home. No one was there. He walked for a good hour and right when he was about to turn around, Gabriel spotted something in a distance. He stopped in his tracks and could tell it was a person lying on the beach!

He ran towards them. As he got closer, Gabriel felt his heart pounding. The person wasn't making any attempts to move. What if the person was dead? What should he do? When he got closer, he could tell it was a girl. A teenage girl. He stopped in front of her. Gabriel quickly looked away. She was naked..

He shook his head. He needed to keep it together! She could be hurt! Yes, hurt! She was not dead! Gabriel kneeled down beside her and noticed her chest was moving up and down. Good, she was breathing. He glanced over her body. She didn't look hurt. Wait. The way she was breathing. Was she sleeping? Gabriel bit his lip. What should he do? He looked around. It was just them. He couldn't just leave her here.

"Um," he said and shook her arm. "Are you alright?"

The girl's eyes snapped open and he stared into them. Her eyes were bright green.


	2. Runaway

_Iris_

The young princess of the Mediterranean Sea poked her out behind a pillar. She glanced around and saw no one. She then slowly moved out behind it and swam off. Unfortunately she didn't get too far. A hand reached out and grabbed the end of her tail and pulled her back. The young princess looked back and saw her older sister, Élise.

"Where do you think you're going, Iris?" She asked, still holding on to her little sister's tail.

"Taking a morning swim. It's going to be a beautiful day after all."

"A swim, huh?" Élise did not look convinced.

Iris fidgeted. Why must she always see right through her? "Yes..."

"Iris.."

"I'm going human watching! There, happy?"

Élise laughed in triumph. "Thought so."

"Now, let go of me!"

"No. You need to stop going to the surface. It's dangerous."

"You sound like Papa."

"Well, it's true!   Humans used to hunt us!"

"Only because our ancestors would mess with them." Iris managed to pull herself free from her sister's grip. "I'll see you later." Iris swam off, but Élise got right in front of her.   "Will you chill out? I'll keep my distance from the scary humans." She made a face of terror. Iris then laughed.

"It's not funny, Iris.   What if you get caught in a fishing net?"

"I'm not stupid, Élise! I never go near boats. I just watch people on the beach."

"Nothing I say will convince you?"

Iris shook her head.

"Ugh fine go. I won't tell Papa and Mama."

"Thank you!" Iris hugged her sister.

"You're too stubborn for your own good."

Iris just grinned. "See you later." She then swam off. As she was swimming Iris could have sworn she heard her sister call out to her one more time, but she ignored it. She was just probably telling her to be careful.

It didn't take long for Iris to reach the surface. She popped her head out of the water and could see the city of Mer in the distance.   Iris dived back underwater and swam toward the city. She popped her head out again, when she got a bit closer. Iris smiled when she saw humans slowly making their way on to the beach. By the look of it, there was going to be a big crowd today! She glanced around. She needed to find a safe place to watch the beach. Iris then spotted some rocks that went out into the deeper parts of the water. She dived back under water and swam over to the rocks.

When Iris reached the rock at the end, she pulled herself up on it but kept her tail in the water.   It was a fantastic view of the beach.   A few hours went by and Iris was still on the rock. There were more people on the beach now. Then suddenly she felt something pinching her elbow. Iris flinched and looked down. It was a crab.

"Shoo," she said and tried to flick it away.

"There's a human coming," it said and dodged her fingers.

"Huh?"

"Across the rocks." the crab then went into the water.

Iris looked back at the other rocks and saw a boy human walking across them. She noticed his attention was on a book. Her heart leaped with panic and she went under the water. Once under water, Iris was trying to calm herself down. She kept telling herself he didn't notice her. Even if he did there was no way he saw her tail. It was completely underwater.

Iris looked up at the surface of the water. She was at an angle where she could see the boy standing on the rock. Iris bit her lip. She should go, but this was a great opportunity to watch a human up close.   This was her first time seeing one close up in person. Iris swam to the rock behind the one he was standing on.

She got behind and slightly pulled herself up. The boy was now sitting on the rock. His back was turned to her. Iris breathed in relief. He still had his attention on that book which meant he didn't see her at all!   She then noticed his arm was moving.   What was he doing? She moved around the rock and approached him.   Iris quietly moved up on the rock and peeked over his shoulder. He was drawing the sea! Ah he must love the sea! She got too excited and her tail made a slash in the water. He looked up from his book. Iris quickly went back under water.

Iris felt her heart pounding in her chest. He saw her.   He definitely saw her. She looked up but didn't see him looking into the water. Curious Iris slightly poked her head out of the water. She saw him drawing again. A grin spread across her face. He had to be a true artist if he was so into his drawing. Messing with him would be easy! Iris rose her tail out of the water and made another splashing noise.   She quickly went back under water.   Iris waited a few more minutes before going back up. He was drawing away. Iris frowned she was going to have to try harder.

Once again Iris rose her tail out of the water and made a splashing noise. She waited until he moved and stayed put when she saw him moving forward across the rock. Iris held back a laugh. The boy was oblivious to the sound direction. She splashed the water again, but this time louder. Iris saw him turning his body around so she went back under the water and went behind the other rock. She laughed out loud. This was too much fun! Now she understood why her ancestors messed around with humans.

Iris then heard a female a voice all the sudden. She frowned. Another human? She moved between the rocks and looked up. Iris could see a human girl standing there. She could hear their conversation clearly. So his name was Gabby? What a horrible name! The poor guy! As for the girl, Iris didn't care for her name.

"Please stop calling me Gabby," he said.

Oh, thank Neptune!   That wasn't his real name. She wondered what it was then. Iris shook her head. She shouldn't care about that. It wasn't like she was going to see him again. Iris floated down a bit. She probably should go..

"No we don't.   Now go away," said the boy.   He sounded annoyed.

"Must you be so cold?" said the girl in a whiny voice.

Iris folded her arms.   This girl was bothering him! He probably wanted to go back to his drawing.   She moved herself to the side of the rock they were standing on. She poked her head out and the two teenagers were focusing on each other. So Iris quickly made a splash with her tail and went back under the water. There!   Hopefully she got that girl wet!

"What a lovely drawing!" said the girl.

Iris pulled on her hair.   Ugh!! Her splash wasn't powerful enough. She decided to stay put. She had to stay out of this. She was becoming too bold. Iris just kept floating there until the boy took off.

"Gabriel!!" the girl shouted loudly.

Gabriel? That had to be his name. Iris peeked her head out of the water and saw the girl hopping across the rocks now. She then rose her whole head and upper body out of the water. Iris let out a sigh. That girl ruined her fun. Oh, well it was probably for the best. Iris turned around and dove back under the water, when the girl made it to the shore.

The rest of the morning Iris had a difficult time watching humans. Since it was a hot summer day, the beach was jam packed. There were a ton of people in the sea and Iris couldn't return to those rocks. There were human children playing on them now and they wouldn't leave! She decided to call it day when she heard a few people call out mermaid. Great..   They probably saw her tail while she was moving around.

The young princess decided to swim along the shore. It was too early to go home. A voice in the back of her mind was telling her to go back. She had a feeling there was a reason why she needed to go back home, but the young princess couldn't remember. She shrugged it off and kept on swimming. Eventually she discovered a cove and swam into it. The young princess then beached herself on the shore.   She leaned back on her hands and started to sun herself. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the peace and quiet.

"I was able to get a salty square!" said an annoying voice.

Iris opened of her eyes and saw two seagulls sitting on a rock. She let out a frustrated sigh. Seagulls. Out all of the sea birds they were the most annoying. "Do you guys mind?" The two birds looked at her and then went back to their conversation about human food.

She crawled back into the water and was going to make attempt to splash them. When she got close to them, they quickly jumped up into the air. They were screaming human and flew off. No!! Why? Humans never came down this far!! She dove under the water and went back out to the sea. She turned around and popped her head out of the water. She let out a gasp. It was Gabriel! And he was alone!!

Iris giggled to herself.   She couldn't resist. She had to watch him for some reason. Iris swam back over to the cove and hid behind some rocks on the left side of the cove. The rock she hid behind allowed her to sit on it without him noticing her.   She sat there watching him and when he got into the water, her lips curled into a smile. She could mess with some more.

She dove back into the water and quietly swam into the cove. She saw him just floating in the water. Iris swam to his side and could see that his eyes were close. She felt her heart skip. This was her chance to get a better look at him. She just had to be quiet. Iris rose her upper body out the water and stared down at him.   Iris's eyes softened. He was cute. She wondered about the color of his eyes. Iris shook her head. She shouldn't be this close to him. She should go..

Then suddenly Gabriel's eyes opened. Iris's eyes widened and she found herself staring briefly into his eyes. They were a soft pale blue. He then thrashed about and Iris used a small wave to get away. She decided to call it day and return home. Iris hoped that Gabriel didn't see her tail.

When Iris returned home, she still felt shaken up from encounter with Gabriel. If he did see her tail would he tell other humans about it?   Then she remembered the other humans from the beach spotting her. Oh what was she going to do? Iris took a deep breath. Everything would be okay. Humans weren't going to discover her kingdom. They didn't believe in mermaids like they used to. She took another deep breath.

"Iris," said a person from behind and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Ahh!!" Iris nearly screamed and turned around. She then looked relieved to see it was her sister. She then glared at her. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry," said Élise. "You okay? You're shaking."

"I'm fine," Iris replied in a weak voice.

"You're lying."

"Uh.."

"Iris..." Élise folded her arms. "Did something happened while you were human watching?"

"You could say that.."

"Iris!!"

"What!?"

"You got too close didn't you?"

"...Yes.." she looked away. "One saw me."

Élise's jaw dropped.  

"But he only saw my eyes!" Iris looked back at her.

Iris's sister raised her hand and it was trembling.

"Élise, what's wrong?" Iris gave her a confused look.

Élise grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. Iris's eyes were filled with fear. Their father was floating there and he did not look happy. He just gave Iris a look and swam off. Iris sighed and followed right behind him.

They went into his study.   He took his seat behind a desk.   Iris just remained floating there with her head hung low. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She was so dead.

"Iris," he said trying to keep his voice calm.

"Yes, Papa?" she replied.

"What do you mean that he only saw your eyes?"

"Uh, we were face to face.."

"Iris!!" he slammed his fist on the table. "Human contact is forbidden!"

Iris flinched.   "He didn't see my tail! He had his eyes closed when I got close up to his face. Then when he opened his eyes, our gazes briefly met!" She wasn't going to bother to tell him about her whole contact with Gabriel and the other humans who saw her. He was angry enough.

"I don't care!" her father rose from his seat. "You put our kingdom in danger!"

She bit her lip.   "I'm sorry, Papa. Please stop yelling at me."

He turned his back to her and took a deep breath. "Iris, I have told you countless times that going to the surface is dangerous.   That human could have done something to you."

Iris didn't say anything.

"You are grounded for a month. You are not allowed to leave the palace walls."

"But, Papa!"

He looked back at her.   "No buts. Now go to your room and get ready."

She blinked.   "Get ready?"

Her father just stared at her. "The royal family from the Tyrrhenian Sea. They are bringing their son. I would like you and your sister to show him around the kingdom."

Iris refrained from slapping her head. She forgot about the Tyrrhenian Royal family staying with them for a week.

"Now go."

"But how can I show him around if I'm grounded?" she back talked him.

"You're allowed to leave the palace walls for royal duties."

Iris held back from rolling her eyes.

"Now, go."

"Yes, father."   Iris left her study and went to her room.

Once entering her room, she collapsed on her bed. Great now what she was going to do for a month? As much as she loved the sea there wasn't much to do compared to the human world. She stared up at the ceiling.   She would give anything to explore the human world. Iris then heard a knock on her door.

"Come in," she said.

Élise opened the door and floated in. "Are you ready?"

Iris sat up.   "They're here?"

Her sister nodded her head.  

Iris swam over to Élise.   "Yeah I guess."

The sisters headed over to the throne room. When they entered the room, their parents were sitting on their thrones. The sisters joined them by floating to their sides. The main doors to the throne room opened and the visiting royal family entered.

Iris looked over at the prince while her father greeted him and his family. Compared to Gabriel, he was rather bland looking. Wait. Why did she compare him to Gabriel? She didn't know him at all! And she would never see him again! Then she learned the prince’s name was Piero. Pfft Gabriel was a better name. Ugh!! Why did this matter!?

After king's welcoming, the sisters took Piero on a tour of the kingdom's capital. Iris let Élise do most of the talking. She started hang back behind them, when she noticed Piero staring at her. What was his deal? It was starting to make her feel uncomfortable. Iris gave Élise a look and they sped up the tour.

"I hope you enjoyed yourself," said Élise, when they returned to the palace.

Piero stared at Iris briefly before returning his attention Élise. "Yes I did. Your kingdom is lovely. It's much bigger than ours."

"Well the Mediterranean Sea is much bigger".

He nodded his head.   Piero then looked at Iris.   "Princess Iris, would you like to have lunch tomorrow?"

"Uh.. sure," Iris replied. She probably couldn't use her grounding as an excuse since her father would consider entertaining the guests as "royal duties".

"Wonderful, I look forward to it," he said with a friendly smile. "See you two at dinner." he then swam away.

Iris sighed. "I don't want to hang out with him tomorrow. He gives me the creeps."

"I wonder why he was staring at you. Well at least he's nice?"

"Élise, if he was nice he wouldn't have been staring."

"At least he's not a weirdo."

"I guess. He seems normal besides the staring."

"We better get ready for dinner."

Iris nodded her head.

At dinner their father had the chefs prepare a feast. As they ate dinner Iris wondered why their father invited Piero and his family in the first place. It only made sense for his father to visit. He had in the past so why bring his wife and son?. It bothered her that her father never explained why when he told her about their visit last week. Then her father cleared his throat right before dessert was severed.

"Iris," he said.

Iris looked at her father.   "Yes?"

"I am happy to announce that Piero has requested your hand in marriage."

Of course!! Their fathers were planning an arranged marriage and judging by his behavior they were letting Piero pick his bride!   Anger boiled through her veins.   She would not stand for this!   She rose from her seat.   "No."

"Iris!" her father cried out in anger.

"I'm not going to marry someone I don't love." She then stormed out of the room and went straight to her bedroom.

The moment she got into her bedroom, Iris locked the door and floated over to her bedroom windows.   She was fighting back tears.   Despite her refusal she knew her father was going to make her marry him. She bit down on her lip hard. What was she going to do? She was not going through with this. Iris floated around the room thinking until an idea hit her. She'd run away. ...Swim away? She laughed at her own joke.

Iris opened her door and glanced around. She didn't see anyone. She guessed her father was going to have a talk with her after dinner. Probably busy cooling down Piero's parents.

She swam to the left and headed into the courtyard. She made her way around the guards and left the palace grounds. She swam toward Mer. To be honest Iris had no idea where she was going. She didn't have any friends. Even if she did she couldn't hide with them. Her parents would turn to them first. Iris stopped swimming and tried to think of a place to go to. She would have to go a different kingdom and disguise herself. But which kingdom?

"HELP ME!!" screamed a voice.

Iris jumped and turned around. She an older merman being chased around by a shark. She gasped.   She needed to help him! Iris swam over to him as fast as she could.   When she approached the shark and the merman, the shark had him pinned up against a rock wall. Iris looked above and noticed a rock leaning over the edge. She quickly floated up to it.   The shark didn't notice her. She pushed the rock over and it landed on the shark's tail. It let out a scream. Iris swam down to the merman and took him by the arm. They then swam away to safety.

"Thank you so much," said the merman when they were far away from the shark. He then recognized her at once. "It's honor to be rescued by a princess."

"No need to thank me," said Iris blushing.

Master!" said a frazzled voice. Iris turned her head and saw a little green sea turtle swimming toward them. "Are you alright!?"

"Yes, Wayzz" said the merman and gave the turtle a reassuring smile.

Iris floated back slightly and glanced around. "Be careful going home." she needed to get out of here. They were out in the open and could easily be spotted. 

"Ah, princess!   Would you care to join me for some tea?" he returned his attention back to her.

"Tea?"

"Yes. I can tell you have a problem and I might be able to fix it."

"Oh, no thank you."

"I Insist! It's the least I can do."

"You don't owe me anything."

"Please."

Iris looked around again. They were alone. Perhaps no one had noticed her disappearance yet. She could probably use his invitation to lay low for awhile until she figured out her next move. Iris nodded her head.

"Excellent.   Follow us." the old merman and Wayzz swam off. Iris followed right behind them.

She was doubting her decision. He could be a killer or want to hold her for ransom. But his pet sea turtle was so cute. Would a criminal own such a cute pet? She rolled her eyes at herself. She shouldn't be judging people based off of their pets. She'd just have to keep an eye out.

They led her to their home which was a small cave on the outskirts of the capital. He showed her the living room and she took a seat while he made them tea. Iris looked around the room. It had nice decor. She let out a sigh. What was she doing? Could she really run away? Would she be able to make it on her own? She should probably go back home, but that would she would have to get married..

The old mermaid returned and handed her a cup of tea. He floated to his seat and sat his cup down in front of him. "Now, if you don't mind me asking. Why is a princess all by herself?"

"Oh, um.."

"Don't worry.   You can trust me."

Iris looked down at her tea cup. She hesitated. She shouldn't tell him. He could turn on her and inform her father. She clenched her tea cup, but her gut was telling her that she could trust him. However, she needed to know something before she answered his question. "I will tell you, but please tell me your name first."

"Oh! Where are my manners? The name is Fu."

"Fu!?" Iris had heard about him. He was famous among her citizens! He helped solved both merfolk and other sea life problems with his magic! She smiled. Now she trusted him completely.

"I guess you’ve heard of me?"

She nodded her head.

"Now," he said and took a sip of his tea. "Answer my question."

"I ran away."

"I see. How come?"

"I have to marry someone I don't love."

He just nodded his head.   "So where are you going?"

She sighed. "I don't know."

"Surely there is somewhere you want to go."

Iris thought hard.   The only place she would love to go to is surface. She then laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"Well, I would love to be able to go onto the surface and live with the humans." Now that she thought about, it the surface would be the prefect place to hide. No one knew her background.

Fu gave her a grin. "Wait here." he rose from his chair and left the room.

Iris looked confused.   She looked at Wayzz and he just shrugged. When he returned, he handed Iris a bottle which was filled with a red liquid. She took it from him and she stared at it.

"Drink this and it will make you human," he said.

"What!?" she looked up at him wide eye.

"It's a magic potion."

She looked at the potion again, unsure. Should she really change herself just so she could run away? She needed answers first. Iris looked at him. "So how exactly does this work? Will I be human permanently?"

"No. All this will do will give you legs when your body dries out. To return to your mermaid form you must completely submerge your legs under water."

"So, let's say I get caught in the rain. Will I still have legs?"

"Yes. That would be terrible if that wasn't case." he chuckled.

"Is this a one time only thing?"

"No. It will last throughout the rest of your life.   However, I can give you another potion if you don't want change anymore."

Iris gave him a small smile. She looked down at the potion again. If she drank this she could live in both worlds. Iris decided to go through with it. "Thank you."

"No. Thank you.   If you need anything you know where to find me."

Iris rose from her seat.   "Goodbye." She then left his house and headed to Mer.

When she got near Mer, Iris went down the shore. She needed to find an area of the beach that humans normally didn't venture. When she popped out of the water, she didn't see anyone on the beach. Perfect.   She swam to shore and beached herself and made sure she was away from the water. She then drank the potion.

She made a face. It tasted awful. Iris then sighed. Now she had to wait and dry out. This was going to take forever. Iris looked down at her body. Her bikini top was soaking wet. Iris took it off and tossed it to the side. There.   That might help it. No one was around anyway. She laid back on the beach and stared up at the night sky.   Iris ended up falling asleep.

"Um," said a voice and someone shook her arm. "Are you alright?"

Iris snapped her eyes open and saw a pair pale blue eyes staring down at her. She jumped up and her eyes widened. It was Gabriel! He stared at her for a second and then looked away. His face was slightly red. She cocked her head. Why was he being shy? "Yes, I'm fine. What's with you?"

"You're naked."

She looked down at her body and noticed the magic potion worked. She had two legs. Iris stopped herself from touching them. She didn't want him to question her.

"Why are you naked?"

Iris tried to laugh at his question. She needed to think of an excuse fast. "I survived a shipwreck."

He looked back at her with a skeptical look. "You did?"

"Yes," she answered calming down and doing her best to lie. "I was on a small ship and there was a terrible storm. I floated here and along the way I lost some of my clothes." She then held up her bikini top. "This is all I have left."

"I see.."

Iris tried not to fidget.

"Where are you from?"

Iris frowned and played dumb. "I don't remember...All I remember is the storm and my name."

Gabriel just stared at her.   She could tell he didn't believe her, but for some reason he was going with it. "What's your name?"

"Iris. What's yours?" she asked him.

"Gabriel."

"It's nice to meet, you Gabriel." She then tried to stand up, but since she had never walked before she fell over and landed on her knees. "Ow.."

"Are you okay?" he asked and helped her up. Now he looked like he believed her story.

"I think so.."   She leaned against him for support.   Standing was harder than it looked.

"Remember to bend your knees."

Iris looked down and stared at her knees. She did know human anatomy since she researched about humans in her studies.   It was important to understand humans despite being banned from contact with them. She just nodded her head.

"I guess you have nowhere to go.."

She shook her head.

"You can stay with me."

"Really!?" her eyes beamed.

"Yes until you figure things out."

"Thank you so much!"

"Okay, do you think you can walk on your own?"

She shook her head.   "I feel weak still."

"Would you mind if I carried you?"

"Not at all."

"Okay, but first." he pulled off his shirt and handed it to her.

Iris felt her cheeks blushing. He was so kind..   "Thank you." she put his shirt on while trying to keep her balance. Luckily she had seen humans put on clothes before. Gabriel then lifted her up bridal style. Iris’s face turned a deep shade of red and she clenched her bikini top in her hands. She tried to stop herself from staring at him.

"You okay?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes!!" she stuttered.

He shrugged and they kept on walking.


	3. Adjusting

_Gabriel_

He carried her all the way back to the beach house. Silence filled the air as he walked. Gabriel was lost in his own thoughts. He tried not to look at her eyes. They matched the ones he saw earlier, but that couldn't be. She just washed up on shore. Or so she claimed. Her story really bothered him, and he wasn't sure why.

They finally got to his house and he unlocked the back door. Gabriel took her upstairs and sat her down on a bed in the guest room. He watched her look around her room. There was excitement in her eyes for some reason.   Gabriel ignored it.

"You can stay here," he said.

"Thank you so much," she said and looked back at him. "This is a lovely room. Very beachy."

"The whole house has a beach theme. It is a vacation house after all."

"Oh, so you don't live here full time?"

"No. My family comes here every summer. Well, I come here every summer..."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," said Gabriel. He didn't feel like giving her any more details. "Well, goodnight." He turned around and, before he left, Gabriel caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Iris was still wearing his shirt. She needed clothes. He looked back at her. "I'll be right back."

"Okay?" She looked confused.

Gabriel left the room and walked down the hallway into the master bedroom. His mother always kept a full wardrobe here. He could lend Iris some of her clothes until he could buy her some.   Gabriel opened the closet and put together an outfit for her to wear tomorrow. For some reason, he found himself being selective. When he was able to put one together, he grabbed something for her to sleep in (and underwear) and went back to her room.

"Here," he said, placing the clothes on the bed next to Iris. She looked down at them with an awed expression on her face. Why was she acting like a curious child? "They belong to my mother.   Tomorrow we'll go into town and buy you your own wardrobe."

Iris looked up at him shocked. "Are you sure? Won't that cost a lot of money?"

"We're rich," he said with a shrug. "My parents don't care how I spend my money." Actually, Gabriel was frugal with his money unlike his parents.

"Oh. Well, thank you. I'll try to repay you someday."

He waved his hand. "No need. Well, goodnight."

"Goodnight," she said with a smile.

Gabriel stared at her eyes briefly. He then left the room. He ran his fingers through his hair as he walked to his room.   There was no way she was watching him earlier today. It didn't add up with her story. He went inside his room and went straight to bed.

The next morning, Gabriel woke up and sat up in bed. He reached for his glasses and put them on. It took him a moment to remember the events from yesterday. His parents abandoned him and now he was living with a mysterious girl. He got out of bed and got dressed. For once he was glad his parents were gone. If they were here, he wasn't sure how they would react to Iris. Would they take her in as well or turn her away? Oh well. That didn't matter. It was actually a blessing to have Iris here. He had someone to talk to, and she didn't come off as annoying.

Gabriel left his room and went downstairs. He decided to make breakfast before they headed out for the day. He turned on the TV on the way to the kitchen. The room was open so he could see the TV while cooking. The weather man was on, explaining that it would be hot and sunny all day. Great. Then he brought up tomorrow had a chance for storms.

Gabriel stared at the TV. He then thought about Iris's story. A storm caused the shipwreck. But this was the first time this week he heard about storms.   Clearly, the ship wasn't too far out from sea because how else would she be able to make it to land? Then again, she could have been lost at sea for days.   But she didn't get hurt and didn't look malnourished. And where were the other people? Surely, she wasn't by herself. She looked too young. She was probably the same age as him. He shook his head and turned his attention to the fridge. He shouldn't be suspicious. There was nothing wrong with her story.

He opened the fridge door and saw a note taped to the carton of milk. Gabriel recognized his mother's hand writing. He sighed. Why couldn't his mother be a normal person and place the note on the fridge door?   He grabbed the note and read that they would be back the last week of August.

He glanced at the calendar. It was the middle of July. Because he went to a rich private school, they had a longer summer vacation compared to other schools in Paris. They started their summer break in the middle of July and went back to school the first week of September. So they’d be gone for about a month and a half. That gave Iris enough time to get her act together.   Gabriel then grabbed the carton of eggs and other food items for breakfast.

He placed the items on the counter and grabbed a bowl. Right when he cracked opened the first egg, Gabriel heard a loud thud. He frowned. It sounded like it was coming from upstairs. He went back to cracking eggs. It was probably nothing. He then heard it again. Maybe Iris tripped over something? When he started to whisk the eggs, Gabriel heard it for a third time. He sighed. What the hell was she doing up there? Gabriel left the kitchen and went upstairs to her room. He knocked on the door.

"Come in," Iris said.

Gabriel opened the door and entered the room.   He looked around and everything seemed to be in order. He looked at Iris who was standing on the other side of the bed. She was still in her nightgown. "Everything alright?"

"Yes!" She seemed jumpy for some reason.

"But I heard loud noises."

"I fell out of bed."

"Three times?"

"I'm clumsy!"

He just stared at her. Iris was lying to him. Gabriel could see it in her eyes. He turned around. He decided not to question her. He stopped at the doorway and looked back at her. "I'm making breakfast. Then we'll go shopping."

"Alright," Iris said. For some reason she looked determined.

"Take your time getting ready. There's no rush." He then left the room, closing the door behind him.

Gabriel slowly walked down the stairs. Why was she lying to him? Then he thought about her story again. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs. How did she survive being lost at sea? He looked back up the stairs. He should just let it go and watch things unfold. Gabriel walked down the last step and returned to the kitchen.

_Iris_

Iris breathed in relief after he left.   Great. He was observant. She needed to be more careful around him. Iris looked down at her feet. This morning she fell out of bed because she forgot humans needed to stand up to get out of bed. She was so used to floating around. Then Iris tried to walk and ended up falling over two times. At least she mastered standing last night before going to bed. She took a deep breath. She could do this!

She reached out for the corner of the bed frame.   Iris then pulled herself to it.   She swung her body around and was standing in front of the bed. She placed her left hand on the bed frame and moved her right leg forward. She then moved the left leg. Iris felt her body shaking. She took a few more steps. Using the bed frame allowed her to get used to the motion of walking.   It felt so strange. She switched her body around so now her right hand was on the bed frame. She took some more steps and switch back to the left. She did this a few more times until she felt confident enough to let go of the bed frame.

Iris slowly moved her hand away from the bed frame.   She took a step forward and didn't fall over. Iris took two more steps and she was still standing. She then walked around the whole room. Iris was delighted that she was able to walk. However, she walked like a one-year-old. She figured over time she would get better. Hopefully no one would notice her terrible coordination.   Iris got dressed and left the room.   She then came to a complete stop when she approached the stairs.

Iris sighed in relief when she saw a railing. She grabbed a hold of the railing with both hands and slowly made her way down the stairs. Iris felt her knees shaking. If it wasn't for the railing she would have fallen down the stairs. When she got to the second to last step, Iris let go of the railing. She slowly stepped down to make it appear that she had no issues walking. She remembered that bottom floor had an open floor plan. Gabriel could easily see her.

She slowly made her way over to the kitchen.   Luckily Gabriel's back was turn so she gradually climbed on a stool at the breakfast bar. Iris smiled at the smell of his cooking. Whatever it was it smelled good. Being a mermaid, she only ate raw fish and shellfish. So she was always envious that humans had a bigger diet. Gabriel turned back to her.   She smiled at him. "What's for breakfast? It smells delicious."

"Quiche," he answered.

Iris stared blankly at him. What the hell was quiche?

"Do you not like quiche?"

"Uh, I’ve never had it," she replied trying not sound nervous. It was possible for a human to have never tried certain foods, right? Despite having a limited diet, there were certain fish Iris has never had before.

"Do you like eggs?"

Fish eggs? Humans eat fish eggs as well? "Yes."

"Then you'll probably like quiche."

Iris just smiled.

Gabriel then turned his attention to the coffee maker.   The coffee pot was full. Nice and hot. He pulled the pot out and pour himself a cup. Gabriel turned his attention back to Iris. "Like some coffee?"

"Uh," she said. "Never tried it."

"Would you like to try it?"

"Sure."

Gabriel pour her some coffee into a smaller cup.   He gave her just enough to sample it. Gabriel handed her the cup.

Iris stared down at it. She had forgotten that humans drank other liquids. The coffee smelled good. She took a sip of it and almost spit it out. "Ow!" Her tongue was burning.

"It's still hot," said Gabriel.

Another thing she forgot. Humans used heat in their cooking. She set the cup down and laughed. "I was excited."

He nodded his head. "Did you like it?"

"Yes!"

"It's a light roast. I don't like the dark stuff."

She just nodded her head pretending she understood him. She then looked down at the cup.   Iris couldn't help but smile to herself. She was happy that she ran away.   Iris placed her hand around the cup.   Being with him was nice. A slight blush spread across her face.   She had no idea why she was feeling flustered.

When the quiche was ready, Gabriel pulled it out of the oven. He let it cool before serving it to Iris. He then joined her at the breakfast bar.

Iris stared at the quiche. It looked nothing like fish eggs. It was yellow with strange colored things poking out. Did humans eat other kinds of animal eggs?   She really needed to do more research about the human world.

"Something wrong?" he asked her.

She quickly shook her head. "No! Just admiring it!"

Gabriel raised his eyebrow.

Iris quickly took a bite. The egg pie melted into her mouth. She has never tasted something so heavenly before! She took another bite. "This is delicious."

"Thank you."

"You're a good cook."

"Thanks. Do you cook?"

"I uhh.." Despite being under the sea, they did have chefs. They would prepare food in a special way. But she couldn't tell him she could cook. He might expect her to make some of the meals. She didn't want to risk messing with heat.

"Don't remember?"

She shook her head.

"What do you remember exactly?"

"Just my name and the wreck."

"Were you by yourself?"

"I... I don't remember."

Gabriel just took another bite out of his food. "I'm sure you'll remember in time."

Iris nodded her head. She went back to her food. As she was eating, Iris noticed a note on the counter. She couldn't help but read it. "Your parents are gone until August?"

Gabriel leaned over and snatched the note.

"Sorry.. I shouldn't have read it."

"It's fine," he mumbled.

"Where did they go?"

"New York. Then they're going to Hawaii."

Iris nodded her head. She’d heard of Hawaii. Her father had the king from the Pacific Ocean visit once. His kingdom was by those islands. She wasn't sure about New York. "They went without you?"

Gabriel just ate his food.

Iris mentally slapped herself. "Sorry! I shouldn't be prying." she went back to her food.

He sighed. "My father is a top fashion designer. They went to New York for his work. Then they’re going to Hawaii for fun."

She frowned. "That's awful."

"I guess..." he mumbled again. He cut himself another piece of the egg pie.

"Well, we'll just have to have our own fun!   Mer's beach is just as beautiful as Hawaii!"

Gabriel stared at her. If you looked close enough, he was blushing.

Iris smiled at him.

"I do like it here," he said and slightly coughed to clear his throat.

"From what I've seen, it looks lovely. I can't wait to explore the town." She cut herself another piece of the quiche. She was in love with it.

"The town is nice too, but it's overly crowded right now. "

"I don't mind."

Gabriel said nothing and drank his coffee.

After breakfast, Iris sat on the couch while Gabriel cleaned up the kitchen. She was amazed by the TV. She wondered how it worked. Iris glanced over at Gabriel. Would it be strange to ask him? Probably.   She sighed. Should she just tell him the truth? He seemed trustworthy...

"Ready?" Gabriel said as he walked over to her.

His question pulled her out of her thoughts. Iris stood up. "Yes!" Excitement filled her eyes.

"Alright, let's go." He walked over to the front door and opened it. Gabriel stood there until Iris walked out the door.   He closed it behind them and they made their way into the town.

It wasn't a far walk into town. Iris gazed at the all the house they walked passed. She loved how they looked so different from each other. One similarity between humans and mermaids.   Architecture. Mermaids built variety of buildings as well.   Then suddenly a boy on a bike passed them with a girl following right behind him. She was shouting at him to slow down. Iris had fear in her eyes. She had seen humans ride bikes on the beach. She prayed Gabriel would never make her ride one.

"You okay?" Gabriel asked her.

"Huh?" she looked at him trying not sound jumpy.

"You look afraid."

"I'm fine!!"

"If you say so.."

"So how big is this town?" Iris asked quickly changing the subject.

"It's a decent size," he said with a shrug. "I've never really paid attention. I only go into town when we eat out."

"What do you normally do?"

"I'm usually on the beach drawing."

"Oh, an artist. I would love to see your work." She couldn't help but give him a wink. If he only knew the truth.

He just stared at her.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said. His cheeks were slightly red.

When they finally made it to town, Iris's eyes widened. There were so many people walking up and down the sidewalks.   There were buildings on both side of the streets which were full of shops, cafes, and restaurants. There were apartments too.

As they kept walking, Iris could tell there was more to the town past the shopping area.   She wondered if they locals lived around there. Suddenly, Gabriel grabbed her arm. She looked at him startled and then glanced forward. A car drove past them. They were at a crosswalk.

"Watch it," he said.

Iris laughed sheepishly. "Sorry I wasn't paying attention."

"Clearly."

She frowned at him. That was rude. Iris returned her attention to the road. She now noticed more people were driving cars.   Of course she didn't know what they were called. Iris was starting to feel frustrated. There had to be a way to learn more about the human world. Mermaids were only required to do so much research. In fact, no one had studied humans in centuries!   She was stuck with writings from when humans were aware of mermaids.

When Gabriel walked across the sidewalk, Iris quickly followed him. She glanced at the windows they walked past and eventually came to a stop. A smiled appeared on her face. Inside of the window she was looking at was a bookstore! The answer to her problems! Mermaids had books too!

"Like to read?" he asked her.

She looked at him.   "I believe so."

"Iris, what do you remember?" asking her once again. He looked at her suspiciously.

"I've told you just my name and the wreck."

"So you don't remember your hobbies? Or your home life?"

She shook her head. Iris noticed he looked frustrated. "Maybe reading books will help jog something!

"Perhaps," Gabriel said and glanced back at the shop. "My father has a study filled with books." He looked back at her. "You're welcome to borrow them."

"Great!" Iris played with her hair slightly. "But, um.. Can we look at these books as well?"

"Sure.   We'll come back after we buy you some clothes."

Iris beamed.

They continued walking down the street until they entered a woman's clothing store. Iris was in awe when she saw all the clothes.   It amazed her that humans were able to design such beautiful things. Mermaids didn't have any clothes besides the bras. Heck, most mermaids didn't wear them. They were more like accessories than clothing.

She took a few minutes of just wandering around the store to observe. In the back of the room she noticed a door. Above it was a sign that said fitting room. A woman walked past her holding a dress and went through the door. She guessed that humans tried on clothes before buying, which made sense.

In the corner of her eye, Iris noticed something. It was a dress. Iris walked over to it and touched it with her fingers. The fabric felt soft and light. The dress had a very pretty flower design. Perfect for the beach. She looked at the tag inside and saw the name Gabriel Agreste. How funny! He shared a name with someone famous! Iris turned to show Gabriel, but he wasn't with her. She grabbed the dress off the rack and went off to find him.

"Gabriel," she said to him when she found him. He was looking at a display of shirts. "This guy has the same first name as you." Iris held up the dress.

He turned slightly red. "That's because it was designed by me.."

"It was!?" she looked at him with awe.

"I told you my father is a designer. He sometimes features my designs."

"You told me you were an artist."

Gabriel shrugged.   "I am. I like to draw landscapes, and I design clothes."

"I'm going to try this on."

Gabriel grew more red. "You don't have to.."

"I want to," she said with a smile. "I think this dress is beautiful." She said and then walked off to go look at other clothes.

"Iris.." Gabriel called out to her and followed her. "You don't have to be nice.."

"I'm being honest." She stopped and turned to face him. "I love the choice of colors." The dress itself was a light blue with a small white flower pattern.   "It's simple."

"Thanks," he mumbled.

Iris just walked off and walked around the store looking at the other clothes. She wasn't sure how much she should buy.   Gabriel offered to pay for everything, but she didn't want to take advantage of him. Maybe a week’s worth of clothes? She didn't mind wearing the same stuff over and over. After picking out a handful of clothes, Iris went to the fitting room.

Before she walked into a stall, Iris wondered where Gabriel went. He was right behind her. Iris walked out of the fitting room and found him sitting on a chair.   He looked bored. She walked over to him.

"Aren't you coming with me?" She asked him.

Gabriel fidgeted in his seat. His cheeks were turning slightly pink. "No."

"Aww, but why not? I need your opinion."

"I, uhh," Gabriel stuttered. "You can just come out here and model for me."

Iris stared at him puzzled. "But why? I saw a stall with two people in it."

"It's inappropriate for us.."

"Huh? Why?"

"We're not together.."

"But aren't we friends?"

"Yes, but we're not in a relationship."

"Oh," Iris said and blushed. She felt stupid. The other person in that stall was a man. "I'll just model for you then..."

He just nodded his head. Gabriel's cheeks were now a brighter shade of pink.

She walked into the dressing room and started to try on the clothes. If she was unsure about something she would go ask Gabriel's opinion. She was pleased that he was blunt with her. So far, most of the clothing was fitting her. Iris took off a pair of shorts and a shirt. She then grabbed Gabriel's dress and put it on. Iris smiled to herself. It looked good on her. She couldn't help but do a little twirl. She needed to go show Gabriel.

Iris left the dressing room and walked over to him. "Ta da!"

He just stared at her.

"I think it fits me quite nice. What do you think?" She gave him a big smile.

Again he was just staring at her.

"Gabriel?"

"Huh?" He blinked. "Oh, it looks good on you."

"You think so?" Iris's eyes lit up.

"Yes," he said and gave her a small smile.

Iris's returned his smile. She then looked away bashfully. For some reason she felt her heart fluttering.

"You almost done?" He asked her.

"Yes," she replied and looked back at him. "I have a few shirts left."

"Alright take your time."

Iris went back to the fitting room and entered her stall. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it. Her lips slowly curled into a smile. He liked the dress on her. Why did that make her happy? Could she be falling for him? She felt her heart skip a beat and she shook her head. No! Impossible! How could she be falling for someone she barely knew?   Iris walked toward the clothes and finished trying on the remaining clothes.

Afterward, Iris rejoined Gabriel with all the clothes in her arms. She loved everything that fit her. She wanted to keep everything, but she didn't want to take advantage of his kindness. He stood up from his chair and grabbed all of the clothes.

"Are you finished or do you want to look around some more?"

"No," she said and then paused. "What is my limit?"

"I told you.   I'm rich. You can buy whatever your want."

"But I don't want you to spend too much.."

"Don't worry about it. So, do you want all of these clothes?"

"Yes."

"Alright.   Let's go," said Gabriel and he walked over to the register. Iris stood beside him and noticed sunglasses on displayed. She grabbed a pair and tried them on. He looked at her. "Do you want those?"

"Do they look good on me?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Sure," she said and placed them on the pile of clothes.

The woman behind the register rung up all the items and Gabriel paid for them. She then handed Iris all of the bags and thanked them both.

"Thank you," said Iris when they stepped outside of the store. "Words can't describe how I feel right now."

"There's no need to thank me," said Gabriel as they walked down the sidewalk.   "Do you still want to go to that bookstore?"

"Yes!   If you don't mind."

When they entered the bookstore, Iris went off on her own. She had no intention of buying anything. There should be books that could answer simple questions. She walked toward the back and noticed a children's section. Perfect!   Humans had picture books too!

Iris glanced around and saw no signs of Gabriel. She walked over to a bookshelf and started to go through books. She eventually came across a toddler book. It was a picture book that taught toddlers names of every day objects. Iris opened it and started to read it. The book had pictures of food, clothing, vehicles, and furniture. After going through it, Iris found another one, but with animals. She decided to read both books until she had the terms memorized. Every now and then she would make sure Gabriel wasn't around.

Once she felt confident enough, Iris put the books away. She then left the children's section. Iris walked around the store until she found a section with photography.   She noticed that each book had a different subject. Animals, nature, places, cars, etc. She decided to go through them all. Luckily each book had captions for its pictures.

"Found anything?" asked Gabriel as he walked up to her.

 Iris jumped and almost dropped the book. "No." She looked at him. "Just browsing.   What about you?"

"No. Do you still want to look around?"

"Hmm," said Iris as she was thinking. "No." She put the book back.   They could come back another time.   She could tell he wanted to leave.

"You hungry?"

"Yes. Is it lunch time already?"

"Just about.   It's been three hours. Come on I know a good restaurant around here."

 "You're taking me out?"

"Of course.   We're not done shopping. There are a few more things we need to get you." He then walked off. Iris followed right behind him.

They left store and took a left and then right. They were heading toward the sea. Gabriel and Iris stopped in front of a restaurant. It had outdoor seating and they were allowed to seat themselves.   They picked a table that had a great view of the sea. Iris placed her shopping bags in the empty seat next to her. She then dug out her sunglasses and put them on. 

"I love these," she said.

"They look good on you," he said.

Iris smiled. The waiter came by and handed them their menus.   He then just walked away. Iris opened hers and flipped through the pages.   She looked up at Gabriel. It was quiet between them.

"Not much of a talker are ya?"

"Yep," he replied as he flipped through his menu.

Iris frowned. She wanted to get to know him better. But what should they talk about? A topic popped up in her mind. "So..."

"Gabby!!" shouted a voice. They turned their heads and saw Charlotte coming toward them. Gabriel cringed when Charlotte threw her arms around him.

"Stop calling me that!" He said angrily and pushed her off.

"I only will if you call me Lotte."

"Never."

"Oh, come on!"

"Go away, Charlotte."

"Why should I?"

"Because I'm having lunch with a friend."

Charlotte finally noticed Iris sitting across from them. She glared at her which sent a shiver down Iris's spine. Charlotte glanced back at Gabriel. "I didn't know you had friends."

"Wow, rude much?" Iris spoke up. This girl's behavior was making her mad.

"Buzz off," Charlotte said as she moved her back and forth.

"No. Gabriel and I are hanging out and clearly he doesn't want you here."

Charlotte stared her down, but it didn't phase Iris. "Of course he does."

"No I don't," Gabriel spoke up. "Now leave."

"But, Gabby!"

"Go." Gabriel then shift his body toward the view.

Charlotte turned her attention back to Iris and leaned over the table toward her. "What's your name?"

"Iris," she replied.

"Well, Iris, he's mine. You understand? So you better watch it."

"I'm no love expert, but I believe both sides have to agree to being in a relationship," said Iris with a smirk.

Charlotte glared at her again before storming off. When she was gone, Gabriel faced Iris.

"Sorry about that," he said and looked embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it," said Iris as she waved her hand.

"She thinks we're a couple because we knew each other since we were little. I wish I could get rid of her, but our fathers are friends.

"That sucks."

"Tell me about it." He placed his hand on his cheek.

"So what do you like to design?" She said finally asking her question.

He stared at her for a moment before answering. "Dresses." He looked grateful that she changed the topic.

"Why?"

Gabriel shrugged. "You can do a lot with them."

"Do you sketch your designs?"

"Of course."

"Can I see them?" She asked with a smile.

Gabriel blushed. "If you want." He then looked away.

Iris giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"You."

"I'm glad I'm amusing," he mumbled. Iris giggled some more. His cheeks were now a bright pink.

The waiter finally came by and took their orders. Iris just picked something randomly. She had no idea what she was eating. She could have ordered seafood, but that was silly. She didn't want to try human seafood until she experienced their other types of food first. It was quiet for the rest of lunch.

After lunch Iris and Gabriel continued their shopping. He bought her a swimsuit. Iris didn't want one seeing how she'd never be able to go into the water around him.   But she couldn't argue. Then their final stop was a women's underwear store.

"Here," he said and handed her his credit card. He then took her bags from her. "I'll wait out here."

"But why?"

"Because I want to."

"Alright," she said and just walked inside. Iris had no idea what his issue was. It was just undergarments. He was odd.

An hour went by and Iris returned to Gabriel. She successfully bought herself underwear and sleepwear. They then made their way back home.

Once they returned home, Iris went up to her room. She crashed on her bed. Iris felt exhausted. What a day! All that walking wore her out. Her feet were killing her. She let out a yawn. Well, at least she was getting better at walking! She was less wobbly. She closed her eyes and ended up falling asleep.


	4. Questions

_Iris_

Iris woke up from her nap. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. This time she remembered she was on the surface. She got out of bed and decided to put on her new clothes. Iris then left her room and headed downstairs. She still walked down the steps slowly. Just in case. Iris didn't trust her balance.

When she got downstairs, she saw no signs of Gabriel. Iris walked into the kitchen and noticed a note was on a fridge. She grabbed it and read it. Gabriel went down to the beach. She put the note down on the counter. Now what? She had no clue when he would get back. And she didn't want to sit around here. Iris decided to go down to the beach herself. She walked over to the back door and opened it. Iris walked out and closed the door behind her.

Once outside she noticed a pool of water. It was huge and the water looked crystal cleared. She walked over to it out of curiosity. Iris bent down to examine it. She noticed a weird looking board at one end of the pool and steps that went into the pool on the other side. She stuck her hand in the water and it didn't feel salty. It had a strange odor to it. So, humans created pools of water? It didn't look natural. She guessed it was for swimming. She quickly stood up and headed to the beach. She had to avoid that pool of water at all costs. If she fell in her secret would be out.

Iris made it to the beach and glanced around. She saw no signs of Gabriel. She wondered if he was hanging out in that cove from yesterday. Iris was debating whether to look for him. He probably wanted some alone time. They were together all day after all. Also, she could use this time to swim a bit. She did miss the feel of the water. Now she just needed to find an area on the beach where she would be alone.

As she walked down the beach the crowds were getting thinner. She eventually found a spot with no people in sight. Iris grinned. Time to swim! Just as she was pulling her shirt off, Iris heard sounds of laughter. She quickly pulled her shirt back down. She turned around and saw two boys on their bikes. They whizzed past her and then she saw a little girl who was trailing behind them on foot. She was running as fast as she could.

Iris sighed. Humans came down this far? There were no houses around this area. Those children were probably disobeying their parents. They would probably come back this way. Great. Now she couldn't swim. She would have to go down further.

Iris knew a spot that wouldn't have any humans, but she would have to climb over rocks to get there. She didn't feel comfortable about that. So, Iris just took off her sandals and held them in her hands. She walked into the water and walked along the shore. The sea water felt refreshing. She splashed some water up by kicking the water with her foot.

"How odd," said a high-pitched voice.

Iris stopped and turned around and saw a seagull standing there. She frowned. She could still talk to animals while she was human? Well technically she was still a mermaid. "What's odd?"

"You," the bird replied. He started to pick at his feather.

How rude! She looked offended.

He then looked back up at her and continued. "A mermaid on land. Very odd indeed."

"Stop saying that!"

"Iris?" Said a voice.

She jumped and turned to the left. Iris saw Gabriel standing there. He had his sketchbook in his hands. She gave him a nervous smile. "Hey, Gabriel."

"Were you just talking to that seagull?"

"What? Pfft! No! Birds can't talk!" She was trying to keep cool. Iris swung her arms back behind her back. "Don't be silly!"

"But you were yelling at it."

Iris broke into a nervous laughter and waved her right hand. "Because it was annoying me with its bird chatter. I was just telling it to shut up."

Gabriel looked skeptical. "I see..."

"So what you been up to?" She asked him quickly to change the subject.

"I was drawing," he said with a shrug. "Then these kids showed up and started to play in the water."

"I just saw a group of kids. Two boys and a girl?" Iris looked relieved. Her tactic worked.

"Yes. They were loud and obnoxious."

Iris gave him a sympathetic look. "Did you at least get to finish your drawing?"

"No and I was working on some designs. I'm going to go to a different spot. Would you like to join me?"

"Sure."

"Alright. Follow me. On the other end of the beach is a small cove. I should have just gone there in the first place."

The small cove! Of course! It was far enough down the beach that humans were seldom seen. It was easy to get to on foot. Gabriel walked off and Iris walked alongside him. It took them about 20 minutes to reach the small cove. When they arrived, Gabriel started to climb up the rocks.

Iris just stared at them. She wanted to go up there, but she was afraid she'd hurt herself.

"Do you need help?" He asked her.

She looked up and saw him sitting on the top. He was a fast climber. Iris nodded her head. "I'm not good at climbing."

He stared at her.

"What?"

"Nothing," said Gabriel. He scooted down the rocks and held out his hand. Iris grabbed it and held it tight.

She placed her right foot on the first rock. Then with her free hand she held on to a rock that was above her. Gabriel pulled her up which guided her as she climbed. Iris could feel butterflies in her stomach. Something could go wrong, but at least there wasn't water down below. She told herself to stay calm. She was almost to the top, but suddenly both her feet slipped and she felt herself falling downward. Gabriel quickly grabbed her other hand and pulled her up to the top.

"You okay?" He asked her.

She nodded her head and sat down on the rock they climbed on. Out of habit, she was sitting like a mermaid. "Yes. I guess I'm clumsy." She laughed sheepishly and tucked some hair behind her right ear.

He stared at her.

"What?"

He just shook his head and opened up his sketchbook. He pulled his pencil out of the binding and got to work.

Iris stared at her hands. Was she acting suspicious? No. How was being clumsy suspicious? Humans got hurt on the beach while doing something stupid all the time. Iris looked back at him. Change the topic! "Can I see your designs?"

"When I'm finished," he replied without looking up.

She didn't say anything and turned around to face the sea. The view was lovely up here. In the distance, she could see dolphins playing in the water. She watched them for a bit. It always amused her that humans were in love with dolphins while her people found them annoying.

When the dolphins swam away, Iris noticed something strange. Something was poking out of the water. She squinted her eyes and was able to make out that it was a person's head. Oh no! Was someone drowning out there!? That area was too deep for a human to swim! What should she do!? Then the head disappeared and she noticed a green fin sticking out before it disappeared as well. Oh, it was just a merperson.

Wait, a merperson!? Oh no! If they were able to recognize her from that distance, they would probably report to her father! Then he would use his magic to turn himself human and drag her back home.

Suddenly, Iris felt something hit the side of her head. She placed her hand over the spot that was hit. She glanced down and saw a pebble. She picked it up and examined it. How did she get hit by this? She glanced back at Gabriel, who was deep into his work. She frowned. Then she felt another pebble hit her head. This time she crawled to the edge of the rock and glanced down into the cove. There, she saw Élise poking her head out of the water. She motioned her to follow her and pointed in the direction to go in. She then went back underwater.

Iris glanced back at Gabriel. He was still oblivious to everything. She cleared her throat. "Gabriel."

"Yes?" He replied without looking up from his sketchbook.

"I'm going to take a walk."

"Do you need help getting down?" He asked her and finally looked up from his work.

Getting down should be easy, right? She didn't want to be a bother. She shook her head. "No. I've got this." She crawled over to the other side and started to slowly climb down. She paid closed attention to her footing. Luckily, she made it to the bottom without any problem. She glanced up and saw Gabriel staring at her. She smiled. Was he worried about her?

"I'll be back in a bit," she said.

He just nodded his head and then vanished behind the rocks.

Iris walked around the cove and went along the shore. She kept walking until she spotted her sister sitting on the shore. Iris walked over to her and squatted down next to her. She didn't want to get her clothes wet.

"Iris," said her sister with a look of relief on her face. "I'm so glad you're alright! Everyone is worried about you! Papa has the guards looking for you!"

Iris bit her lip.

"How are you a human?" Élise was staring at her legs.

"Fu helped me run away," Iris replied. "I'm still a mermaid. I just magically gain legs when my body dries out."

"Fu!? You went to that old hermit?" Élise said in shock.

"Technically, no. I saved him from a shark."

"A shark!?"

"Would you please calm down? I'm fine and that's all that matters. Now please promise me you won't tell Papa and Mama."

"And why not?" Her sister crossed her arms.

"Because this is my home now," said Iris. She felt her legs shaking so she stood up.

"Iris, you don't belong here!" Élise gave her sister a look of disapproval.

"I don't care. I'm not marrying someone I don't know."

"Piero, isn't that bad. He's nice and he's worried about you."

"Hpmg." Iris frowned. "He only likes me for my looks. It's probably why he picked me over you. You saw the way he was staring at me. I'm just a prize."

"Do you really want to live here?"

"Yes."

"How are you going to make a living?" She paused. "I saw a man with you. Who is he? Does he know you're a mermaid?"

"No he doesn't and his name is Gabriel. I think he's the same age as me. I'm currently staying with him."

"What!? But you don't know him!" Élise's tailed splashed around in the water.

"I know, but he's really kind. I told him I was a shipwreck victim and he said I could stay with him until I sort things out." Iris shrugged. "I don't know why, but I just trust him, Élise. Now please don't tell anyone I'm here."

"But you can't stay with him forever."

"I know. I'll figure something out."

Élise frowned and more water splashed around from her tail.

"Pleaseee," Iris said in a begging voice.

"Fine, but I will check on you every once in awhile."

"Oh, thank you!" Iris said and bent down to hug her sister. "You have no idea how much this means to me"

Élise gave her sister a faint smile. "I'll see you later."

"Bye." Iris stood there and watch her sister get back into the water. She stood there until her sister vanished underneath the water. She then turned around and started to head back. However, she came to a complete stop when something crossed her mind. She was alone. She could go swimming. Gabriel was engrossed in his work. A quick swim wouldn't hurt.

Iris walked over to a rock that was laying on the beach. She took off her clothes and placed them down on the rock. She then turned to the water and walked into it. She kept walking until the water covered her lower half. Iris's legs then magically changed back into her fin. She smiled and went under water. It felt amazing. She was happy she found a safe place to swim.

_Gabriel_

Gabriel looked up from his sketch book. He placed it beside him and put the pencil on the top of it. He was finally finished with his sketches. He wasn't 100% pleased with them. Gabriel leaned back on his hands and gazed out at the sea. There was a gentle breeze. The waves were slowly making their way to shore. Gabriel let out a sigh. Maybe he should work on his sketches a bit more. He sat up and grabbed his sketchbook. He opened it to the middle and tapped his pencil on one of the pages.

A seagull flew past him and was chattering away. He looked up and watched it fly off in the direction Iris went in. He frowned. It had been awhile since she left. Should he go looking for her? No. She seemed capable of taking care of herself. Yet. She seemed naive. Maybe because of her memory loss?

Gabriel closed his sketchbook. Iris's story was bothering him again. She claimed she could only remember her name and the wreck. However, she remembered never trying quiche and coffee. Also, not being a good climber? It didn't add up. He started to play with his sketchbook. Perhaps he should investigate. Maybe ask her questions? To see if she really didn't remember anything. Sounded like a solid plan. He would just have to pretend he was helping her so she wouldn't be suspicious.

Now all concentration was lost. Might as well go for a swim. Gabriel pulled off his T-shirt and kicked off his flip flops. He climbed down the rocks into the cove. Gabriel went underwater. The water was nice and cool. He floated there for a bit. Still no sign of Iris. What was taking her? He should probably looking for her.

Gabriel stood up and walked out of the cove. He then walked off in the direction she went in. Gabriel walked along the shore. Eventually, he came across her clothes on a rock, which meant she was around here. He glanced around.

Wait. He stared back at her clothes. Gabriel saw her underwear sticking out under her shorts. She was swimming naked? But he bought her a swim suit. He then heard a big splash. Gabriel turned and looked around. That splashing noise was similar to ones he heard yesterday. Gabriel walked into the water.

"Iris?" He called out. He walked a bit further. The water was shallow but was starting to cover his waist. Gabriel then spotted something moving behind a rock. He walked over to it.

"Don't come over here!" Said a voice from behind the rock. It was Iris.

"Why are you swimming naked?" He asked her and stopped in his tracks. He was standing right in front of the rock. It was huge and he couldn't see her.

"I didn't bring my swimsuit because I wasn't planning to go swimming, but I got hot from walking," she said nervously. "I'll meet you back at the cove!"

"Okay then," he said. Gabriel turned around and headed back to the cove. So, she remembered how to swim, but not climbing rocks? How strange. Then again if she was lost at sea she probably swam to the shore..

Gabriel returned to the cove. He climbed back up the rocks and grabbed his T-shirt. He put it back on. He stared out at the sea. That splashing noise sounded like it came from a big fish. Then he found Iris right after. The news from yesterday popped up in his mind. What if she was a mermaid? What if she was the one who was messing with him? Charlotte said she spotted one by those rocks from yesterday. She was sitting like one earlier. No! Gabriel shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. What was he thinking? Mermaids weren't real. He let out a frustrated sigh.

He just sat there and watched the sea. He was trying so hard not think about mermaids. As he was watching the sea he noticed the waves were slowly getting rougher. Strange. The wind was gentle today. He looked up at the sky. There were no cloud in the sky. There was a myth that mermaids could control the sea. Ugh. He was going crazy.

"Gabriel," said a voice.

He glanced down and saw Iris standing beside the rocks in the sand. She had a smile on her face. Was she always this happy? He just gave her a small smile. Her smile was contiguous.

She slowly made her way up the rocks. Iris sat next to him and when she reached the top. "Sorry for taking so long. I had to make sure I was dried off."

"It's fine," he said. Gabriel looked back at the sea. "Hey, Iris."

"Yes?"

"Do the waves look like they're getting rougher?" He pointed toward the water.

Iris looked back and for a brief second there was a look of fear in her eyes.

She quickly shook her head and looked back at him. "No."

Gabriel just stared at her. Why did she look afraid? Maybe she had a flashback from the wreck? "Okay. Maybe I'm just seeing things." He then stood up. "I'm heading back to the house. I need to go to the store for dinner."

"Oh, what are we having?"

"Not sure. I'll figure something out before I go. Any requests?"

She shook her head.

Gabriel put his flip flops back on and grabbed his sketchbook. He then climbed down the rocks. Iris followed right behind him and he held out his hand to help her down. They then both headed back to the house.

When they got to his beach house, Gabriel opened the back door and went inside. He closed the door behind them. Gabriel then threw his sketchbook on the kitchen counter.

"Before I go to the store I'm going to take a shower," he said. "So think about what you want for dinner."

"Alright," she said as she walked over to the couch and sat down.

"Did your clothes get wet?"

"The back of my shirt is wet from my hair."

"You can throw them into the wash. You probably want to wash the rest of your clothes as well." Gabriel was making his way to the stairs. "The laundry room is down a hallway right off from the kitchen. It's on the left right across from my father's office." He placed his right foot on the step and started to walk up the stairs.

"Laundry room?" Iris whispered to herself, but Gabriel heard it. He stopped mid step and looked back at her. She was staring toward the kitchen with a puzzled look.

Gabriel stared at her. She didn't seem to notice. Did she not remember what a laundry room was? The idea of her being a mermaid popped up his thoughts again. Mermaids don't have clothes so Iris would have no clue what doing laundry meant. No. Stop! She was not a mermaid! Maybe she didn't have a laundry room back home! Yes, that was it! Maybe she lived in an apartment. They were normally small and the washer was in the kitchen. He should help her. "Do you want me to show you how to use the washer and dryer?" He turned around.

She looked startled when he spoke to her. She turned her body to face him. "Yes please."

Gabriel walked down the stairs and was joined by Iris. They walked down the hallway and went into the laundry room. Gabriel then turned on the lights. He walked over to the washer and dryer and explained how to use both. She still looked confused about something. Gabriel leaned his back against the washer.

"Don't remember doing laundry?" He asked her.

She slowly nodded her head.

Time to put his plan into action. "Iris, would it help if I ask you questions? Maybe it will help jog your memory."

"What kind of questions?" She seemed nervous. He could tell she was trying to hide it.

"Just general questions you would ask when getting to know a person."

Iris opened her mouth to say something, but the doorbell rang. The sound of the doorbell startled her.

Gabriel looked annoyed. He had feeling he knew who was at the door. "Someone's at the front door." He left the room and headed to the front door. He wanted to ignore it, but there was a chance it was someone else. They had neighbors. He stopped at the front door and opened it.

"Gabby!" It was Charlotte. She tried to throw her arms around him, but Gabriel quickly stepped aside. Charlotte caught herself from tripping. She turned to him. "Hey!"

"Charlotte, what do you want?" He said rudely, ignoring her comment.

"To eat dinner with you!"

Gabriel cringed. If she came all the way here that meant she told her parents. If he shoved her out the door she would tell her father. He just sighed. What was he going to do about Iris? Charlotte couldn't know she was living here.

"Oh, I'll make it too! I'm quite the chef." She had a smug smile.

"Actually, Charlotte," Gabriel began to say, but she cut him off with a scream. He turned and saw Iris standing there. Damn it!

"What is she doing here!?" Charlotte shouted angrily.

"We went swimming on the beach," Iris replied crossing her arms. "We just got back. Is that a crime?"

Gabriel was relieved that she didn't say she was living here. He opened his mouth to make a comment, but Charlotte beat him to it.

"Then where were you?" She demanded.

"In the laundry room. Gabriel was letting me wash my bathing suit. It was full of sand."

Charlotte narrowed her eyes. "So that means you're staying for dinner?"

"Yes."

"I understand if you want to leave, Charlotte," Gabriel finally spoke up.

"Oh, no I'm staying! Iris and I will make dinner."

Gabriel looked at Iris. She turned her head away, but he could see a look of panic in her eyes. He looked back at Charlotte. "No I'm making dinner. Iris is a guest and you invited yourself over. So, you don't get a say in anything."

"But!"

Gabriel just crossed his arms and gave her a stubborn look.

She sighed. "Fine. So, what are we having?"

Great. He needed to go shopping for dinner. Also, he still wanted to take a shower to get the sand and salt off him. But he couldn't leave Iris alone with Charlotte. Which also meant they would both have to go shopping with him. "We have to go to the store. I'll figure out something along the way. Iris, come with me. I need your help with something first."

Iris just nodded her head.

"Follow me." He walked toward the stairs. He noticed Charlotte following them. He turned to her. "I said Iris not you. Wait here."

"But!"

He gave her a look.

"Fine.."

Both of them headed up the stairs and went into Gabriel's room. He closed the door right behind them. He then turned to face Iris.

"So what do you need help with?" She asked him.

"Nothing. I just need to talk to you. Iris, you can't tell Charlotte you were lost at sea."

"Why?"

"Because she might tell her parents and they could get involved." In reality that was the logical thing to do. Charlotte's parents had better resources to help Iris. But for some reason part of him was telling him no.

Iris's eye widened. "What should I tell her? If she asks."

"You live in Paris," he said and paused to think. "The 16th district, Passy. Your mother is a client of my father. That's how we met. Oh, and your father is a doctor."

She nodded her head. "Is that where you live?"

"Yes, but we live in the 7th district."

She just nodded her head again.

"Iris, feel free to tell her off if she tries to ask you personal questions."

"Oh don't worry I'm not afraid of that bitch."

Gabriel actually laughed.

Iris smiled. "Anything else?"

"Hmm. Oh, you're here with your family on vacation."

"Gotcha! Don't worry I can bullshit answers."

He gave her a small smile. "Let's go." He turned around and opened the door. They left his room and went downstairs. Once downstairs they saw Charlotte standing behind the couch leaning against it.

"What took you?" She asked.

"We were looking for my wallet. Unfortunately, it wasn't in my room," he lied. Gabriel then went into the kitchen to pretend to look for his wallet. He knew where it was. He kept it in a basket on the kitchen counter. After a few minutes of "searching", he grabbed it out of the basket. Gabriel walked back over to the girls. "Let's go."

They left the house and walked down the street into town. Gabriel had no idea what to make for dinner. Something simple. As they walked, it was quiet between them. He couldn't help but feel suspicious. Charlotte had to be plotting against Iris. She was a threat since she was a girl. Despite telling her that Iris was a friend.

The thing about Charlotte was she was only a brat around him and her parents. To everyone else, she was a heartless bitch. She only acted nasty if you tried to take something from her. Like him. A lot of girls tried to befriend him at school, but Charlotte made sure that didn't happen.

They arrived at the store and Gabriel grabbed a basket. He glanced at Iris and noticed a look of curiosity in her eyes. Mermaid stores probably look different. No! Enough of this! He shook his head.

"Something wrong, Gabby?" asked Charlotte in a disgustingly sweet voice.

"No. I'm fine," he said. Gabriel walked off with the girls following behind him. As he looked at the food, Gabriel decided on pizza. It wouldn't take long to make the dough. He headed toward the baking aisle.

"So, Iris," said Charlotte as Gabriel grabbed the ingredients he needed for the dough. "How long have you two known each other?"

"Three years," Iris replied. "My mother is one of his father's clients."

"Oh? So, you're from Paris? Where do you go to school?"

Shit. He didn't think of that. Maybe she guessed she lived in one of the high end districts.

"I'm home schooled," Iris replied. He glanced back at her and noticed she was looking at Charlotte straight in the eyes. She was a good liar.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No."

"I see."

"Let's keep moving," Gabriel ordered. He walked off. This time he walked around the store at a quick pace. He wanted to get out of there. The sooner they got home the sooner Charlotte would leave.

After he gathered all of the ingredients to make a pizza, Gabriel paid at the register and they headed back to his beach house. On the way home, he also had them walking at a quick pace.

When they got home, Iris sat down on the couch. While Charlotte was in the kitchen with him. Gabriel ignored her and focused on the pizza. He decided to go with a veggie pizza. As he was making the dough, in the corner of his eye, he noticed Charlotte was getting out a knife. He turned to her.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm going to cut up the vegetables," she replied simply.

"No. I don't need your help."

"But, Gabby!"

"I said no. Now put the knife away. Why don't you go watch TV or something?"

Charlotte put the knife down on the counter and marched into the living area. She sat down on the chair and crossed her arms. "You're so cruel, Gabby."

Gabriel rolled his eyes. The dough needed to rise so Gabriel placed it into a bowl and covered it with a towel. He then grabbed a cutting board out of a drawer and placed a tomato on it. Gabriel picked up the knife and started to slice and dice it.

"So, Iris," said Charlotte.

"Yes?" Iris said and looked at her.

"How old are you?"

"17," she replied. Gabriel looked toward her. She was either lying or she remembered her age. Something to ask her when they're alone.

"You're the same age us."

"Yeah, so?"

"Then why on earth are you home schooled?"

Iris made a face. "Because my father thinks I'll receive a better education."

"But look at the result. You don't have a boyfriend."

"Excuse me? I have other friends besides Gabriel. It just so happens that I don't have a boyfriend."

"But you're 17."

"Yeah, so? You're 17 and you don't have a boyfriend."

"Uh yeah I do."

"Chasing around Gabriel does not count."

"Enough," Gabriel spoke up without thinking he slammed the knife down into the cutting board. It was sticking up in the wood. Things were starting to get out of hand. "No more talking until dinner."

"But she insulted us!" Charlotte said. She twisted her body around in the chair to face him.

"No she didn't. We're not together, Charlotte. Now be quiet."

She pouted and turned around. Luckily she stayed quiet until dinner was ready. Gabriel set the table in their breakfast nook. He brought over the pizza and set it in the middle of table. He already cut it into slices. The three of them then sat down and each took a slice.

"Wow!" said Iris after taking her first bite. She looked at him. "This is really good!" She had a child-like look in her eyes.

He couldn't help, but smile at her. "Thank you, Iris."

"Oh please. It's just pizza," said Charlotte. "It all tastes the same."

Gabriel's smile turned to a frown. He looked at her. "Thanks for insulting my food."

"What? I'm speaking the truth."

"Well it's rude," said Iris. Gabriel glanced at her. He could see a hint of annoyance in her eyes. "Gabriel worked hard on this. I'm sure you can't make something like this."

"Yes I can," said Charlotte coolly. "In fact I can make something more complex." Then a grin appeared on her face. "You know what would be fun? A cook off!"

"A cook off?" Iris somewhat stuttered.

"Yes! The winner gets Gabriel."

"Hey," Gabriel spoke up. "I'm not a prize."

"You're on," said Iris.

Gabriel looked at Iris in shock. Did this mean she had a crush on him?

"Excellent! I'll get my classmates to be the judges. A lot of people from my school come here. We'll have the cook off at my vacation home."

"Fine. When?"

"Hmm. Tomorrow evening. My parents will be at dinner party so they'll be out of the way."

"Great. So, a dinner dish then?"

"Yes. Oh! Dessert as well!"

"You're on."

Charlotte gave her a nasty smile. "I look forward to you losing."

Iris actually looked confident. "We'll see about that."

Gabriel just sat there stunned. He never imagined two girls fighting over him. He looked at Iris in the corner of his eye. She was eating her slice of pizza. Why was she so confident? Did she remember how to cook? Earlier she looked afraid at the idea of cooking. He was confused about her memory loss. It wasn't making any sense anymore.

Charlotte stood up. "I hate to leave so soon, Gabriel, but I need to call our classmates about tomorrow. Bye." She then got up from her chair and made her way to the front door.

After the door closed, Gabriel turned to Iris. "Do you remember how to cook?"

"Nope!" Iris replied calmly.

He stared at her, eyes wide. "Then why did you agree to her challenge?"

"To save you," she replied as she reached for another slice of pizza.

"To save me?" So she didn't like him that way..

"Yeah. I can tell she's driving you crazy."

"I'm used to it."

"Gabriel, it isn't right for a person to act like that. I don't think she truly loves you."

"Probably not."

"You should be with someone who cares for you and respects you."

Gabriel stared at her. He felt his heart leap for some reason.

"Since you're such a great cook, you can make the dishes for me!"

That snapped him out of his daze. "No, Iris. You're going to have to cook."

"But!"

"That would be cheating. Besides if she tasted it, she'd know I made it. However, I will help you."

"Wouldn't that be cheating too?"

"Oh you'll be cooking. I'll be coaching you."

Iris gave him a confident smile. "Sounds like a plan. What should I make?"

"Something simple. We can go through my cook book."

"I won't let you down, Gabby!" Iris said and then giggled.

Gabriel rolled eyes.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't resist! Of all nicknames, she picked that?"

"Unfortunately," he said. Gabriel ate some of his pizza.

"Hmm you need one that suits you," said Iris. She then paused for a minute. "How about Gabe?"

"Gabe?" he glanced at her.

"Yeah! You look like one and it doesn't sound like a nickname you give a pet."

He chuckled. "Go for it."

"Really?"

"Sure."

Iris gave him a grin. "Tomorrow, Gabe, we will be victorious and Charlotte will leave you alone forever!"

Gabriel just shook his head in amusement. "You're such a goof ball, Iris."

She laughed. They continued their dinner and when they were finished Gabriel got up and cleared the table. He cleaned the dishes and then grabbed his cook book out from a drawer. Both him and Iris sat back down at the table.

"My grandmother taught me how to cook," he explained to her as he opened the book. "Most the recipes I have are from her."

"Neat," she said.

He shoved the book toward her. "Pick out something that looks simple."

She nodded her head and flipped through the book. Gabriel studied her expressions. He could see her confidence slipping away. He sighed. He grabbed the book from her. She looked at him.

"Iris," he said. "We can take back the challenge."

"No! I will beat her! Just, all of this is new to me!"

"What?"

She had a brief look of panic and she looked away.

Gabriel just stared at her. He could tell she didn't mean to say that. What did she mean by that? Then his plan appeared in his mind again. "Iris."

"Yes?" She replied but didn't look at him.

"Can I ask you questions to help you remember? You seem to be remembering some things. Like your age. Or did you lie about that?"

"No. I'm 17."

"So, can I help?"

"Sure," she looked reluctant for some reason.

"Alright. Well, I'm going to go take a shower. Keep looking for a recipe." She just nodded her head. Gabriel got up from his chair and went upstairs into his room.

He closed the door behind him and walked over to his bed. Gabriel started to get undressed. Iris was trying to hide something from him. He could tell by her range of emotions. She was terrible at concealing them. Once he was naked, Gabriel went into his bathroom. He walked over to the shower and turned it on so it could heat up. Gabriel then walked over to the vanity and stood in front of it. What was she hiding? Well, whatever it was he wanted to find out. But he had to make sure not to be forceful. He didn't want to lose this friendship. Gabriel turned around and got into the shower.


End file.
